The 15 to 20 new oil paintings that William Suys has created for his solo show, which opens at Worrell Gallery this month, are the result of an extraordinary drive toward perfection that has been motivating the artist in recent months. “I’m very excited about the work I’ve been creating for this show,” Suys says. “My work has been improving, and I’m determined to develop carefully explored works with a new level of depth and richness. I want to convey magic in the way I apply paint.” The show opens on Friday, November 29, with an artist’s reception from 5 to 7 p.m.

Worrell Gallery director John Bygott is thrilled to be showing Suys’ latest paintings. “The experience of representing Bill Suys is pure pleasure,” says Bygott. “He is a master at his craft. His attention to detail and his dedication is evident in every painting, no matter what the subject matter. It is with this attention to detail that he captivates the viewer, creating a personal dialogue between the artist and spectator.”

William Suys, Commence the Merriment!, oil, 24 x 12.

Suys has been concentrating on painting individual people and animals in his latest work, and he strives to communicate the inner souls of his subjects. Several of the paintings in the show portray scenes he observed at a Renaissance fair near his Wisconsin home. In the painting titled COMMENCE THE MERRIMENT!, Suys depicts a fair actor dressed as a jester, standing on a stool as he calls visitors to attend his performance.

Suys’ animal paintings include buffalo, horses, roosters, cows, and donkeys. He focuses on the personality of each of these animals through its facial expression and body language to create a series of portraits. “I tend to draw a lot on visual images in my mind, my memories and my understanding of anatomy,” he says.

When painting still lifes, which are also included in this show, Suys uses the same approach of paying attention to the inner quality of his subjects. He’s fascinated by his wife’s collection of old Chinese urns, bird’s nests, and old benches. She inherited many of these objects, and there are family stories attached to them. “My wife, Kristin, talks with me about these objects,” Suys explains. “I feel their meaning, and I feel connected to them. As I paint, I try to bring power and presence to the objects. I focus on their relationships with each other within the painting so the viewer knows why they are there together.”

Suys won Best of Show in Greenhouse Gallery’s Salon International this year and is a signature member of Oil Painters of America, but he constantly pushes himself to grow beyond his current achievements. “I recognize we artists are blessed with many opportunities to study and learn from fabulous work, both past and present,” he adds. “Now’s my time to truly express my vision, both conceptually and through execution.” —Emily Van Cleve